| Popis: |
For a people that purportedly values longevity, the Chinese are preoccupied with death, preparing for it long before its imminence. This paper, using a cultural analysis of funerary rituals, examines the meanings and significance of death for the Chinese, beginning with the preparations for death, followed by the funeral and the burial, and one’s ascension as an ancestor. Viewing rituals as heightened activities which conflate, refract and highlight the most important values for the Chinese, it will be shown that there is an underlying logic to these rituals. Singapore provides an excellent case study for traditional rituals in an urban context. Singapore society has undergone a rapid process of modernization and industrialization which has vastly changed the physical and cultural milieu of the Chinese. This paper explores the changes and adaptation of traditional rituals in an urbanized context and the continuing negotiations between tradition and modernity in ritual performance. |
